Manifolding machine



y 3 W. G. BORCHERS MANIFOLDING MACHINE Filed May 27, 1933 a Em IN VEN TOR Patented May 5, 1936 PATENT OFFICE MANIFOLDING MACHINE William G. Borchers, Hoboken, N. J., assignor to Autographic Register Company, Hoboken, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application May 27, 1933, Serial No. 673,148

4 Claims.

This invention relates to manifolding machines, and more particularly, tomeans for guiding and controlling the passage of the paper strips from a supply compartment to a writing platen.

An object of this invention is to provide a rear guide roller and strip-tensioning means which avoids sharply bending the stretches of the strips and which tends to flatten out the folds in the strips when the supply is in the form of a zigzag folded pack.

This application relates to subject-matter disclosed in part in my co-pending application Serial No. 461,666, filed June 17, 1930, now Patent No. 1,916,164, dated June 27, 1933.

The improvement disclosed herein and not disclosed in said copending application consists in the provision of a spring pressed yieldingly movable roller over which the strips pass. This roller is guided in the guide roller frame for vertical movement and yields when a folded portion having a particularly heavy crease passes over the roller. e

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of the platen and feed mechanism showing the guide mechanism of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing in section the rear end of the platen and the operating end of the presser plate as the latter is being engaged by a set of folds.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the presser plate.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, of a modification of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another form of guide roller and presser plate, these parts being shown mounted on the guide roller frame.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the form of invention illustrated in Fig. 5, with the margin frame in position.

The register shown in the accompanying drawing, in common with other registers of the same type, comprises a platen frame I2 over which worksheets are fed from a supply compartment (not shown) to a writing space defined by a margin plate l4 located above the platen. At the forward end of the platen there is provided feed mechanism comprising feeding annuli l5 against which webs I6, I! and 18 are pressed by a pressure roller IS. The pressure roller is urged against the annuli or the intervening strips by .springs ,(not shown) and is enclosed by a hood 22, the front end of which has a tear-off knife 23. The front end of the register has a record strip compartment 24 having a cover 25 which may be swung upwardly and forwardly about a hinge (not shown) to give access to the interior of the record compartment 24 when desired.

When the strips l6, I1 and I8 are advanced 5 by the annuli l5 and pressure roller I 9, the strips I6 and ll are issued through the space between the tear-off knife 23 and the end 27 of the cover, while the strip I8 is led under the end of the cover into the record compartment 24.

The annuli l5 .of the feeding mechanism are secured to a shaft 29 having at its outer end a handle or crank (not shown) and when the crank is rotated the annuli l5 advance the strips until apertures, diagrammatically indicated at 3|, in the strips are entered by the annuli, whereupon further movement of the strips is discontinued. There is a pair of apertures 3| for each form, and hence rotation of the crank will advance each strip only one form length at each operation, irrespective of the length of throw of the crank or difference between the form-lengths of the respective strips. To restart the strips to advance the forms which have just been written upon, a starting roller (not shown) by means not shown but well known in the art, is caused to engage the strips and advance all of them until the apertures 3i are out of range of the annuli and the latter engage the strips. A suitable form of mechanism for carrying out these operations is 30 disclosed in the Shoup and Oliver PatentNo. 1,396,070.

Heretofore, the strips l6, l1 and I8 were introduced to the platen l2 over guide rollers, one of which was provided for each strip, and at this point, also, the strips were engaged by tensioning and separating fingers between which they were drawn. For,'as stated above, it was found in practice that when the strips were allowed to remain in one position for a long period of time, 40 for instance over night, or under certain atmospheric conditions, the strips would become set or more or less permanently fixed in curled position where it bent sharply around the guide roller and, consequently, would not properly and the machine.

In order to keep the strips flat on the platen, the present invention provides a. presser plate 5| mounted on a shaft 52 pivoted in the platen frame, and having tongues 5Ia bearing on the strips l6, l1 and 18 near the end of the platen I2. The presser plate 5| may be held down. by a spring, if desired, but in the present case it is made heavy enough so that its own weight will cause the tongues 5m to engage the strips. I6, I! and I8 with the desired amount of pressure.

In addition to the above function, the presser plate 5| also tends to smooth or straighten out the folds 53 in thestrips so that. the. folded portions of the strips wili. properly pass. the rear edges 54 of the carbon strips without being torn or tearing the carbon strips.

It should be understood that the. presser plate 5|. does not separate and tension the strips to permit the relative movementbetween the strips Which is necessary to ,allow the strips to be aligned by the annular feed mechanism} but merely produces suflicient drag or tension on the pile of strips. to cause them to lie smoothly on the writing surface.

Preferably, the roller 41 is so placed that the writing surface of the platen is tangential with it, so that there is no. tendency for the strips to catch onto the rear edge of the platen. Itis also preferable that the roller' be made ofsubstantial dimensions so as to prevent any sharp crease or bend of the strips being formed around it under any conditions. a

If desired, the modification shown in Fig. 4

may be employed. In this case, the edge 5|b of the plate 5| is arranged to bear upon the portions of the strips supported by the roller instead of thoseportions of the strips overlying the end of the platen. The arrangement shown in Fig. 4 may be further modified as shown in- Fig. 5. Inthis figure, the roller MD has trunnions 6'2 sliding invertical slots 63 the side arm" 64 of the guide roller'f'rame 65. The trunnions 62 are engaged by a spring 66 which normally holds the roller at the upper limit of its movement.

The presser plate 51c is pivotally mounted at 6-7 in the side plates 64- of the guide roller frame and its front end 68 is located directly over the roller 41b. When a set of folds 53, the crease of which is particularly stiff, approaches the roller 47b, the roller may move downwardly, the springs 66 yielding at this time and thereby avoid tearing the strips. 7

Moreover, in this form of the invention, as shown in Fig; 6, the presser plate 510 does not rest merely by gravity against the strips passing over theroller 412), but it is engaged positively by the transverse member 69 of the marginal frame, and in this position the roller 41 is slightly depressed and therefrom is normally urged upwardly against the plate by the springs 66.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5, there is provided an auxiliary guide roller 10 over which one or more of the strips may be led when desired before passing to the guide roller 'Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

therewith o ver which superposed worksheet strips are led en bloc from the supply compartment to the platen; and a rigid plate for engaging the pile of strips at a point where they lie upon the roller and from which point the platen is substantially tangential-to the roller for pressing out the folds of the strips to permit the folded portions of the strips to pass the edges of the carbon strips without'being torn by or tearing-the latter and resilientmeans causing said roller andplate to have pressure-contact with the strips passing between them. 1

2-. A manifolding machine having a supply compartment in which a' pa ck of zigzag folded superposed strips is supported; a platen-over which the strips are adapted to be fed and on which carbon strips extend transversely between each two adjacent worksheet strips; a guide roller at the introductory side of the platen and flush therewith over which superposed worksheet strips are led from the supply compartment to the platen; a rigid plate-engaging the pile of strips at a point where they lie upon the roller and from which point the platen is substantially tangential to the roller for pressing out the folds of the strips'to permit the folded portions of the strips to pass the edges of the carbon strips without being torn by or tearing the latter; and means for yieldingly urging said pressure rol'ler toward said plate. g

3. A manifolding machine having a supply compartment in which a pack of zigzag folded superposed strips is supported; a platen over which the strips are adapted to' be fed and on which carbon strips extend transversely between each two adjacent worksheet strips; a guide frame at the rear of the platen having downwardly extending side plates; vertical slots in said side plates; a guide roller having. trunnions located in said slots; springs engaging said trunnions to urge the guide roller upwardly; and a plate having trunnions mounted in apertures in said side plates and extending over said guide roller and, engaging the strips, passing over said roller.

4. A manifolding machine having a supply compartment in which a pack of zigzag folded superposed strips is supported; a platen over which the. strips are adapted to be' f'edfland on which carbon strips extend transversely between each two adjacent worksheet strips; a guide frame at the rear of the platen having downwardly extending side plates; vertical slots in said side plates; a guide roll'er having trunnions located in said slots; springs engaging said trunnions to urge the guide roller upwardly; a plate having trurmions mounted in apertures in said side plates and extending over said guide roller and engaging the strips passing over said-roller, said plate beingrigid and means for holding: said plate in predetermined position.

' WILLIAM 

